


Gotham Business

by amonkeysue



Category: Aquaman (2018), Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020), DC Extended Universe
Genre: Gen, Gotham adventures, Liberties taken with DC universe, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:27:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23255440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amonkeysue/pseuds/amonkeysue
Summary: For the prompt: "Aquaman interacting with the Birds of Prey"
Comments: 4
Kudos: 40





	Gotham Business

**Author's Note:**

> Me, picking and choosing what I want from across DC canons? More likely than you'd think!
> 
> Many thanks to animenightwing33 on tumblr for the prompt, I definitely had some fun with this one!

Gotham was a definite change of pace from Atlantis or Amnesty Bay.

Arthur would say he’d been in his fair share of cities over the years, but nothing matched the general mood that Gotham somehow managed to maintain. Maybe it was the gargoyles on most of the buildings in the city center, maybe it was something to do with how it was simultaneously normal life casually interspersed with villainous insanity.

It was slightly comforting to know that if he somehow got wrapped up in anything while obliging Bruce’s request for a Justice League related discussion, it’d have a hard time following him back to Atlantis.

Hopefully.

Stories did float around about the GCPD’s most wanted despite the distance.

Not that he could say how exaggerated some of them were without asking or waiting long enough to find out, and he was fine to leave Gotham once the Justice League stuff was done. Nothing against the place, just that he was comfortable to leave it as Bruce’s territory, gargoyles and rogues gallery and all.

With Diana having taken Mera out on the town for the day and nothing official until that evening, Arthur was left to his own devices for occupying himself and definitely wanted not to stay in Wayne Manor all day long.

On Alfred’s suggestion he went to a nicer restaurant than he probably would’ve chosen without the bill being on Bruce for lunch, and was enjoying a round of appetizers when he instantly tensed up at the sound of a startled exclamation from the back of the restaurant.

The food forgotten, he pushed back from the table and immediately darted in the direction of the exclamation, his body moving faster than his brain when it came to what he was going to do.

Some others had nervously risen from their chairs and were seemingly debating whether to stay or go, others were gawking from their seats. He wound around and pushed past them to find a waitress being held with one arm twisted behind her back, someone in a ski mask aiming a gun to her temple and using her as an apparent shield.

Okay, so not exactly Arthur’s superhero specialty of a situation but he could figure it out.

He was just about to start to say something to the ski mask person when they yelled, “Everyone get on the ground or I will shoot her!”

There was confidence to the threat that had a few people immediately comply.

Arthur loudly cleared his throat and held up both hands towards the speaker in a motion of caution, keeping his expression both stony and vaguely empathetic. “Hey, whatever you want, there’s an easier way, just-.”

“I’m not alone, get on the ground!” A scared whimper escaped the waitress as the speaker forcefully pressed the barrel of the gun against her temple.

Arthur held both hands a little higher and hoped he really wasn’t screwing up too much. “Hey, it’s okay, just let me-.”

He was again interrupted, this time by the kitchen doors bursting open, another person in a ski mask stumbling backwards through them before collapsing to the floor with a strained exhale. The speaker only had time to start to whirl around to look, taking the waitress with them, before a woman in what looked like a blur of a blue pantsuit and mesh sleeves hit them in the side of the neck before yanking the gun from their hand and pulling the waitress aside.

The speaker tried to retaliate, only for the woman, having prompted the waitress behind her, to deftly shift into a roundhouse kick at the speaker’s head.

They dropped without so much as a groan.

She waited for a second to make sure that both ski mask people weren’t moving before turning to evenly regard the waitress. “You okay?” With a nod from the waitress she continued. “Keep everyone out of the kitchen, we’ll handle it. Just give us fifteen minutes tops,” she said before starting back for the doors.

Arthur followed. “And just who are you?” he asked, his voice serious.

The woman stopped and turned to look at him. “Who are you?” she responded in the same tone, arching a brow as she gave him an appraising once over.

He squared his shoulders back an extra bit. “I work with the Bat.”

“Uhuh.” The eyebrow stayed up, evident curiosity flashing through her eyes for a second.

Before he could reply he was interrupted yet again. “Canary, we’ve got to mo- oh.” Another woman came around the workbench in the kitchen to see them, shorter than the apparent Canary and wearing a black leather jacket. “Trouble?”

Arthur resisted a sigh. “Look, I work with Batman and just want to make sure what’s happening here.” He jerked a thumb towards the doors behind him. “I was just eating when this happened, but if there’s a situation and we’re on the same side here, I can help.”

“You honestly work with Batman?” the woman in the jacket asked, a slightly incredulous note in her voice.

He shrugged. “We saved the world together, now we’re giving teamwork another go.”

Canary ever so slightly relaxed with an entirely amused laugh at the comment and focused off of him back to the woman. “You can take this one.”

“Huntress is already headed for the waterfront. Looking for a boat.”

Not keen on letting these mystery women wander off without him, Arthur immediately perked up at that information. “It’s a long story but anything in the water is kinda my specialty. Those Aquaman stories? Mostly true. I can help.”

With only a second’s hesitation, the woman in the jacket nodded for him to follow them. “How true does mostly mean?” she asked as they went, keeping to a brisk pace out to the alley the kitchen led off to and passing a few more people in ski masks slumped on the ground along the way.

“I’m not a fish person, I don’t have gills, and I can’t personally control water, first of all.”

“But you can stop boats?” Canary asked while unlocking a car waiting outside.

Arthur nodded as he slipped into the back, allowing the woman in the jacket the passenger seat. “Boats are easily done.”

He’d done more with stopping submarines, of course, but that wasn’t exactly the relevant part.

Canary hit the gas, rushing them out onto the street and towards the waterfront. “They’ll be a ways in the harbor when we get there.”

“And once I get in the water I can swim faster than you think.”

He internally scoffed at himself for sounding so much like a teenager who wanted to show off.

Probably a good thing Mera wasn’t there to roll her eyes at him, however affectionately.

Neither of the women in the car with him seemed to particularly mind at least, more focused on the matter at hand than his phrasing.

The woman in the jacket angled back in her seat to look at him. “There’ll be multiple armed individuals on board, guarding a kidnapping victim.”

Arthur arched a brow. “This is related to the restaurant?”

“Turns out they were using it as a distraction for what they were really up to.”

He figured he’d ask more about the circumstances once they weren’t speeding to someone’s rescue. “I’m used to resistance.”

“Good, we’ll be out there as quickly as we can.” Something intense glittered in her eyes. “You’ve got our sudden situational trust because you are uniquely equipped to help.” She pointed at him. “But if you take one step out of line, Batman or not-.”

“You’ve got nothing to worry about,” Arthur reassured. “I care about helping people.” He leaned forward to catch Canary’s attention after a second and pointed off to the side. “This is close enough for me to dive in.”

Both women cast him a questioning look. “Really?”

He couldn’t help something of a grin. “I’m Aquaman.”

“Then thank you from the Birds of Prey.”

\--

Stopping the boat had been easy, it had gotten fun in dealing with the guards on board to keep them from throwing their kidnapped businessman over the side with cinderblocks. The Birds of Prey team had joined him as quickly as they could and took care of the last few individuals on the boat while Arthur saved the businessman when they did get thrown over.

The woman in the jacket – Question, he’d overheard Canary call her – called in a tip to the GCPD and they headed back to the docks with the rescued businessman.

Side discussion waited until they had seen the businessman safely off.

The woman he figured was the aforementioned Huntress gave him the same once over Canary had before flatly remarking, “I liked the way that you kicked ass on the boat and jumped so high back out of the water.”

Arthur politely nodded. “Uh, thank you.” He loosely gestured towards her crossbow. “I like that you’re committed to a bow. It’s different.”

Irritation flashed in Huntress’ eyes. “It’s not a fucking bow and arrow!” she loudly complained while Canary snickered in the background.

“It’s a crossbow, and you’re not the first,” Question told Arthur with faint amusement as she stepped past him. “But more importantly right now, I’m curious how you ended up with Batman.”

Almost comically as yet another interruption, Canary suddenly exclaimed, “Oh my fucking god, that’s Harley!”

Huntress and Question both immediately followed her line of sight across the street to where the most colorfully dressed woman Arthur had ever seen was strolling down the sidewalk while munching on the remaining half of an ice cream cone without a seeming care in the world.

“Harley!” Question yelled while starting to cross the street towards her, Canary and Huntress following suit.

Arthur was more curious what was happening in general and tagged along because he could.

Harley turned at the sound of her name and broke into a grin. “The dorky little do-gooders! In broad daylight?” She made a thoughtful sound. “Must’ve been something dramatic for sure, but – wait.” She stopped, blinked, and pointed at Arthur. “Who the fuck is that?”

“Aquaman,” he drily replied.

“You’re asking for outside help already?” Harley teasingly asked the other women. “Woulda thought you I’d see you at least team up with Batman first.”

“He was right place, right time,” Canary explained.

Harley made a noncommittal noise as she continued on her ice cream cone. “And what brings you to Gotham then anyways, Mr. Aqua?”

He was still a little confused what the hell was happening here, but opted to stay relatively polite until given a reason to act otherwise. “Business.”

“Oohh, sounds official.”

To the side, Huntress took a step forward. It was unclear if she was attempting to intimidate or just directly catch Harley’s attention. “Where’s Cass?”

“Mmm, you know how she gets around.”

Question and Canary shared a sigh. “Don’t tell me you lost her somewhere,” Question started to sharply say.

“I did not!” Harley sounded somewhat scandalized and frowned at the other women. “I’m just givin’ her some independence! And you know she managed pretty well before me, there’s really no reason to be quite so concerned. She’s pretty good, for a kid.” Her frown turned into something of a pout. “And dontcha trust me now?”

“Not exactly,” Question said with suspicion in her expression while Huntress shrugged with one shoulder.

“Oh c’mon Montoya, you just can’t forget, can you?” Harley complained before finishing off her ice cream cone.

Canary gave another sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. “And a lot more dangerous people know her face now, let alone have seen you with her… Harley, tell me you’re doing a better job at keeping track of her or so help me-.”

“Fine!” Harley held up both hands and dramatically sighed. “Fine. She’s taking Bruce for a walk. And I’m just on my way to meet up with her, I just took a short snack stop first. Happy?”

Canary continued to press. “Walking Bruce where?”

“Just around a few blocks.” After a second Harley slumped her shoulders forward. “Okay, just this once you can come with me just so you can sleep easy about Cass.”

Arthur cleared his throat and took a half step back. “This sounds personal, I’ll just leave you to it. If you need something, just reach out to Batman first, we’ll be around for a little longer. Uh, thanks.”

Harley smirked and waved at him. “Tell him hi from Harley Quinn!”

He couldn’t help but blink, pretty certain he remembered hearing that Harley Quinn had been a part of some of the more destructive schemes in Gotham and still questioning what the hell he had walked into that this was an apparently relatively normal day. “Uh, sure.”

Canary and Question looked like they almost wanted to say something more to him, but apparently thought better of it, leaving him with a simple nod as he slipped away. Huntress also gave him a farewell nod, so effortlessly cool he almost wondered if she had practiced it.

Getting back to Wayne Manor was straightforward and uneventful, except for one thing that prompted him to stop the driver Alfred had arranged for him just outside the gate.

Arthur hopped out of the car and frowned as he ran over to what appeared to be a fur covered shape by the fence.

As he got closer it turned around and growled at him, looking far more like a hyena, of all things, than any other dog he had seen.

Seriously, what sort of shit was Gotham on?

“Woah,” he started to warn the hyena-dog-thing, preemptively dropping into a defensive stance in front of it in case if it lunged. “Easy there…”

A couple seconds of growling later, a small head in a ballcap poked up from behind the hyena-dog-thing. “Bruce, what is it?” The girl who had emerged noticed Arthur standing there. “Oh.” She pushed herself back onto her feet and rested a hand against Bruce’s back. “Who are you?” she suspiciously asked, regarding him with evident caution.

“Aquaman.” There were a lot of introductions for the day. “That’s Harley Quinn’s dog?”

Surprise registered across the girl’s features, and he guessed this was the Cass he had heard about earlier.

“Her hyena, actually,” she corrected before prompting Bruce to relax by starting to pet the back of his head. “She told you about him?”

“Sort of.” Arthur marginally relaxed his stance but still kept a careful eye on Bruce. He may come from a different perspective than most on living right beside wildlife, but that was also because he could communicate with them in the ocean over assuming the best of them. It was substantially different from running around with a hyena. “You’re Cass, aren’t you?”

“Maybe.” A defensive note stayed in her voice.

“Whatever you’re doing here, I don’t think Mr. Wayne wants a hyena running around the property unsupervised, and you’ve got Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey looking for you.”

Cass carefully picked her words in response. “But Mr. Wayne does have a phone that I can use to call them.”

Arthur debated to himself for a second. On the one hand, he could just as easily help her contact Harley or the Birds of Prey, and curious as she evidently was, maybe it wasn’t the best idea to bring Cass into Wayne Manor. On the other hand, it could satiate her curiosity and there was a good chance Bruce could be right there to meet hyena Bruce.

He nodded. “Why the hell not. C’mon, we’ll drive you up.”

Cass beamed and prompted Bruce to follow her and Arthur.

Gotham was certainly an adventure.


End file.
